Sunday, June 29, 2008
- sqrt(1-v^2/c^2)
i have been totally addicted to everything about super smash bros brawl, even though i cant play because i dont own a wii GAH. it started with a downloaded video of all the characters' final smashes, and went from there. i started hoarding videos from that site, each one more spectacular than the last. super smash bros really has a special place in my heart as my most favourite game of all time, more than war3 or cnc or anything else. ive been playing smash bros 64 since 2004 and it has been countless hours of smashing fun. the gameplay is so chaotic, yet exudes a grandeur and spectacularness of the highest level. and when i control my character on sceen, it actually feels like an extension of my own hand, a feat that only my rubiks cube and piano have achieved.
i am really desperate to get my hands on a wii and start playing ssb brawl. but in the meantime, i have been making do with:
gameplay videos! i have video montages of all the final smashes, trailers from before the game's release, and epic live footage of many fights. and a review by gametrailers.com as well. i have cgi cutscences from the single player and boss battle videos. the live footage of the fights are the ones i watch the most, just to immerse myself in the crazy chaotic atmosphere. but one can only have so many videos, so most of the time i spend on smash bros is with its music.
the music of super smash bros, since ssb melee, has been sensational, comprising tracks from all over the nintendo universe. super mario, mario kart, yoshi, kirby, wario, legend of zelda, earthbound, fire emblem, pokemon, donkey kong, you name it, they have it. ssb melee's soundtrack has been on my top-rated list ever since 2006. and then i downloaded the ssb brawl soundtrack, adding 280 tracks to my music collection. i think my music library consists of 60% videogame/movie soundtracks, 30% classical music and 10% pop and random stuff :D
i shall review my favourite tracks one by one here!
Super Smash Bros Theme
the absolute best of the bunch. i have listened to this so many times that i can sing the LATIN lyrics perfectly! here are the lyrics:
Audi famam illius.
I’ve heard legends of that person
Solus in hostes ruit
How he plunged into enemy territory
et patriam servavit.
How he saved his homeland.
Audi famam illius.
I’ve heard legends of that person
Cucurrit quaeque tetigit destruens.
How he traveled the breadth of the land reducing all he touched to rubble.
Audi famam illius.
I’ve heard legends of that person
Audi famam illius.
I’ve heard legends of that person
Spes omnibus,mihi quoque.
Revered by many - I too, revere him
Terror omnibus,mihi quoque.
Feared by many - I too fear him
Ille
Now that person
iuxta me.
Stands at my side
Ille iuxta me.
Now that person stands at my side
Socii sunt mihi.
Now my friends are with me
qui olim viri fortes
Some of them were once heros
rivalesque erant.
Some, my mortal enemies
Saeve certando pugnandoque
And as we face each other in battle, locked in combat
sprendor crescit.
We shine ever brighter
this song is brought to us by the composer of final fantasy's music, and while i have never heard those supposedly they are gems of video game music as well. this theme certainly is, in any case. the use of a choir and latin for the lyrics, as well as nice drums and deep base instruments make this piece incredibly grand. the E major - C# minor works well with this effect to. by the time the lyrics reach 'sprendor crescit' i can literally imagine the game shining in all its glory.
Mushroom kingdom
a nice change of pace with a soft piano arrangement. G major is really different from the usual C major you always hear this piece in, but its as i said a refreshing change. it does justice to a most iconic video game theme that most boys my age should recognise. the underground theme is much better than any previous arrangement, with added harmonies that give the feel of a large, dark mysterious place that mario underground pipes are.
Super Mario World
very cute and light-hearted! an extremely cheerful piece, and when i listen i can imagine yoshis playing happily. happy keys like D major and C major are nice here, as well as the swing rhythm in the second part of the piece.
Delfino Plaza
this piece is one of the best at giving you the most vivid impressions of the place it describes - a quaint little marketplace/plaza with little toads/whatever mario characters going about their daily lives. percussion and harmonica add to the atmosphere. this piece is so lifelike it wouldnt feel out of place in a musical at all.
Luigi Raceway
i am a huge huge fan of mario kart and this brings back lots of fond memories. the starting horn blasts can easily make me visualise a whole bunch of cars at the start line ready to race, and the body of the song makes me feel as if im cruising along a road, trying to overtake them and shooting koopa shells at them. definitely a hallmark of mario kart music.
Rainbow Road
another ownage mario kart piece. a grand and lively C major piece that makes you feel as if you are flying through the endless heavens, under the starry skies, which is exactly what you are doing in the rainbow road course on mario kart. the only problem is that C major is so bright that one would think the racing took place in the daytime sky through white clouds and rainbows and etc, but actually this takes place in a night sky.
Menu 1
this is a minus 1 version of the ssbb main theme, and an extremely good one at that. heavy brass in the base gets you all pumped up for a good smash, and the harps and violins really make the "qui oli viri fortes rivalesque erant' line feel like the entire ssbb character is lined up right beside me ready for a spectacular battle!
Menu 2
this is a revisit to ssb melee's opening theme, which is not as grand as brawl's but nearly as good. ive listened to 2 variations of this piece before this, and this one is the better fast-paced variation compared to the actual ingame opening music in melee, which feels quite rushed. just as good in its own way as the slower version performed by the new japan philharmonic.
DK Map and bonus
haha, this makes me visualise a donkey kong poring over a map with lots of locations with tasty bananas. the music sounds just right for donkey kong - strong, yet comical.
Back to Jungle Japes
jungle japes has always been an excellent drum and percussion piece, and this arrangement doesnt disappoint. the only problem is the second part which has woodwind instruments going to give a feeling of a sunset in the tropical jungle. it sounds nice, but they cut the drums section by a lot and came to the sunset part really fast. sigh.
Zelda Main Remix
there are way too many versions of the legend of zelda's main theme, but i prefer this one - its more original due to using a choir to sing the melody instead of leaving it to the traditional brass instruments and flute. choirs always give a more grand feeling, which i like.
Ocarina's Medley
my favourite zelda music! the melodious flute, and later the trumpets, as well as the 3/4 rhythm of the piece makes me imagine that im on a rocking boat discovering many new wonders at sea. i can nearly imagine the smell of salty sea air while listening to this. the grand finale with sara's theme brings the piece to a superb close.
How To Play
another brawl main theme remix, this one faster paced. its not as grand as menu 1, but certainly comes close.
Final Destination
very appropriate and intense music for fighting the final bosses of the game! this is again a brawl main theme variant, but it uses extremely clever tweaks to the melody and some good use of minor key modulations, as well as the electric guitar, to crank the tension up and up. finally at the end, the violins come in to give the 'sprendor crescit' the splendour it deserves.
Yoshi's Story
OMGOMG this cute song fits yoshi perfectly! the random interjections of yoshi's voice are perfect, and the general feel of the song describes yoshi's nature very well - carefree, friendly and happy-go-lucky.
Yoshi's Island
this piece makes me imagine a tropical island paradise, which is what yoshi's island is! a hillarious thing about this piece is that one particular line of notes sounds almost exactly like "santa claus is coming to town", so you will end up randomly thinking of christmas. and the modulation to A major in the recapitulation is extremely pleasing to the ears.
Flower Garden
this song is just as cute as yoshi's story is, and conveys the same feelings in a totally different song. this wouldnt sound out of place on a tv show meant for toddlers lol.
King Dedede's theme
i like this because it presents kirby music in a really funky way. it also describes the mischevious, trouble-making personality of king dedede perfectly in my opinion.
Gourmet Race
back in ssb melee this came out as 'fountain of dreams' a really impressive and grand orchestral arrangement. but this time we get...heavy metal? normally rock music really grates on my nerves, but i actually like this piece simply because my favourite kirby theme is behind that electric guitar.
Sir Meta Knight's Revenge
i have never heard a better jazz piece in my life. one can imagine a enigmatic and suave Sir Meta Knight swinging his sword Galaxia around him with great dexterity and skill. plus the fact that this particular piece suits a nice chaotic brawl in the game extremely well. a nice kirby theme also appears in the end!
Corneria
this piece is even better than final destination at depicting a very intense and nailbiting battle. now if it were made abit longer the extra content would really help. but its a great music to battle to nevertheless.
Space Armada
hands down the best starfox music i have ever heard. as the song progresses, i can feel myself in a space fighter, weaving and ducking through enemy fire in a great space battle similar in magnitude to the battle of coruscant at the start of star wars ep 3. what makes this even better in game is that the stage that this music plays on really depicts an epic space battle in the background with fighters and ships shooting lasers and energy bolts everywhere.
Pokemon theme
this is the best variation of the pokemon theme ever, and as a hardcore pokemon fan i love this and all the rest of the pokemon music. the starting segment is really innovative with the use of electric guitars, and in general this piece never fails to create the atmosphere of a huge stadium with cheering crowds and a spectacular pokemon battle going on in the middle. modulation to Bb major is a plus.
The Pokemon Center
The trumpets and F major create the impression of a busy and bustling pokemon center really well. trainers and their pokemon taking a break in the lobby, chanseys and blisseys rushing around with injured pokemon on stretchers, nurse joys serving at the counters happily. truly befitting for a place that is always a hub of activity in the pokemon world.
Route 1
sounds like the typical route just beyond the started town in the pokemon world - new and exciting for the beginner trainer but close enough to home to be comforting. the viridian city theme could have been done on to completion though.
Stadium and Evolution
the pokemon gym theme has always been very grand, and this is no exception. what is surprisingly new is the inclusion of the music that plays when a pokemon is evolving, and this particular music works very will in building up to the finale of the piece. the best part of the piece is the intro, which makes me feel as if i have entered a prestigious place where intense competitions are held between pokemon trainers.
Victory Road
the electric guitar arrangement. victory road has always been the long and harrowing path to the pokemon league, and this music sums it all up. it symbolises the culmination of all of a pokemon trainer's struggles and efforts as he painfully works his way toward the pokemon league. the electric guitars emphasise on these 'struggles' nicely by creating tension.
Dialga and Palkia
dialga and palkia are the deities of time and space respectively in the pokemon universe, and this theme song captures their feeling well by sounding celestial and out-of-the-world. the piano broken chords, tinkling piano upper notes and violin soprano all blend together really well to create this effect. also, the middle section, which i assume to be the background music for spear pillar (i never played dp) is nice and intense, and i feel like this is a place of extreme power i have entered.
Team Galactic
this piece is incredibly funky, and captures the essence of the higher-ranked personel in the team galactic admin really well - a technologically savvy and professional criminal organisation. much better than any theme team rocket/magma/aqua has thrown up so far.
Route 209
the peaceful yet grand music reminds me of the top of a mountain, with the clean mountain air, fields of flowers, and the breathtaking scenery all around. unfortunately route 209 doesnt actually seem to be anything like this, but anyway the music is still good.
Mute City
this is perfect music for captain falcon - racers whizzing around the race track that everything around is drowned out by the intense competition. one of the few times i actually really enjoy the electric guitar.
Strike to the Challenge
i dont really have much experience with fire emblem and its music, but this one is nice and intense and will be a nice track to smash to ingame. somehow seems to fit ike and the other fire emblem characters going around displaying their impressive swordsmanship.
Metal Gear Solid 4 Love Theme
this is really really good! it may sound like the standard intense battle music at first, but what really makes this stand out is the menancholy violin that comes in, and with its vibratos, adds a distinctly east asian feel to the music. this wouldnt sound out of place in some asian martial arts movie.
Angel Island Zone
this really suits the atmosphere of angel island zone ingame well, with lots of golden rings abound and sonic and tails dashing around to grab them, as well as the lush greenery and bandikes(sp?) at every turn.
Battlefield 2
a really nice acoustic guitar version of the ssb brawl main theme. while not as grand as the main theme itself and menu 1, it is a refreshing change from them.
Stage Builder
haha this sounds like an art museum! where you go around viewing all the exhibits of creative works. it quite fits the scenario as youre supposed to be putting your creativity to use while designing your own stages.
this is my longest blog post ever. i think whoever reads this will have established that i am a video game music fanatic - and proud of it. Gah i would really really do anything just to get my hands on that wii and play ssbb now!!
